Tracey Kelusky's stats are well below his career numbers, but
Buffalo Bandits fans need not fret.

The best is yet to come.

Kelusky scored nine goals in his first nine games with the
Bandits, which means he'll likely fall short of the 30 he scored
last year and the 31 he netted the year before while leading the
Calgary Roughnecks to the National Lacrosse League championship for
the second time.

Fitting into a new offense can take time.

"I've been allowed to come in and do my own thing," said the
35-year-old forward from Peterborough, Ontario. "The coaching staff
has been very patient in letting me find my groove.

"I'm still not playing as good as I need to play, but I'm
getting my chances and if I'm getting the chances, the ball will
start falling in for me. We have a great core of guys on the
offensive set, and we're just coming into our own in terms of
adapting to each other's tendencies."

Buffalo, 6-3, took second place in the East away from Boston
with a 9-8 road win last weekend and the Blazers, 6-4, will try to
snatch it back when the teams renew acquaintances in Buffalo on
Saturday (NLL.com, 7:30 p.m. Eastern).

"With the parity the way it is in the league this season, we're
somewhat pleased with our record," Kelusky said. "We look at the
games we maybe gave away a little bit, and we think our record
could be better. But with the parity in the league 6-3 isn't
bad.

"We're not necessarily satisfied. We're looking at the loss
column. Toronto is 9-2 and we've only lost three, so we know we can
still catch Toronto, and we all know how important it is to finish
first and be in a position to be at home for as many playoff games
as possible."

'Winning breeds success'

Kelusky said there is no truth to the rumor that he only agreed
to report to the Bandits -- after they traded their first- and
third-round 2011 draft picks for him -- because playing alongside
42-year-old John Tavares would make him feel young.

All kidding aside, Kelusky was eager to join the Bandits because
he'd already teamed with many of them on Peterborough Lakers teams
that have won numerous Canadian championships in summer Mann Cup
play. Buffalo teammates Tavares, Mark Steenhuis, Chris White, Scott
Self, Kyle Clancy, Darryl Gibson and goalies Mike Thompson and
Angus Goodleaf were with Kelusky and the Lakers last summer for the
latest Mann Cup triumph.

"Winning breeds success," Kelusky said. "You get a taste for it
and you want more.

"Once you have a bunch of guys who understand what it takes to
win and have won, then they're that much hungrier to win again. We
have a proven group of winners in Buffalo starting from the
coaching staff right down to the youngest guys on the team, who've
battled for Minto Cups with their junior teams. That's by design.
[Coach] Darris Kilgour likes to surround himself with winners."

Kilgour is among the best head coaches in league history.

About the Author

Neil Stevens has covered pro and
Canadian lacrosse since 1971. He and the late Tom Borrelli -- a
longtime LM contributor -- are the only media members recognized by
the NLL Hall of Fame. Check laxmagazine.com/nll for more.

"He's obviously a very knowledgeable coach," Kelusky said. "He
demands a lot from his players and he makes everyone accountable.
It doesn't matter if you're an 11-year veteran like me, a 20-year
veteran like Johnny T. or a rookie. The philosophy of our team is
that you're only as good as the guy next to you, and Darris pushes
that a lot. It's really fun to be a part of."

Kelusky's approach to playing lacrosse has changed since he was
the 2001 pro rookie of the year.

"I'm more cognizant now of the leadership aspect, what makes
other players go," he said. "'I'm trying to help out some of the
other guys.

"My main focus is team first and succeeding as a group rather
than succeeding as an individual. When you're younger, you care a
lot about the goals and points because you want to impress. Now, I
couldn't care less about getting a point as long as I'm
contributing and we're winning."

Boston (9.0), Toronto (9.2) and Buffalo (9.2) are the only NLL
teams that have allowed fewer than 10 goals per game, on
average.

"If you look at the teams that have successful defenses, they
are team defenses," Kelusky said when asked about Buffalo's strong
defense corps. "With us, the guys trust one another back there.

"There are guys you've played against -- and for me one would be
Jon Harasym -- in the NLL and in the Ontario league, and being
Bandits teammates you get an appreciation for all the stuff he can
do. Chris Corbeil is going to be a phenomenal defender for a long
time. I can't say enough about the Peterborough guys, Scott Self
and Chris White back there. That's four guys, but it's tough to
pick out anybody because everybody is doing a fantastic job."

Buffalo's defense has remained strong despite the absence of
Billy Dee Smith, who blew out a knee playing for Canada in the
world field lacrosse tournament in Manchester, England, last
July.

Blue-collar player for blue-collar city

Another thing that has impressed Kelusky about playing in
Buffalo is the size of the crowds. More than 18,000 watched the
Bandits beat Rochester.

"I've been around this league long enough to know Buffalo has
been a very successful franchise for a long time," said Kelusky,
whose former team, Calgary, is in danger of not being able to
finish the season due to financial woes. "It's unbelievable. When
you have that many people supporting you, it's like having a sixth
player on the floor at times."

Having the same ownership as the NHL team in HSBC Arena is a big
part of the Bandits' success story. Denver's NHL and NLL teams also
have the same owner. What two NLL teams have the highest
attendance? Buffalo and Colorado.

Work ethic is another key factor.

"Buffalo is a blue-collar city with hard-working people,"
Kelusky said. ''If they get pushed down, they get back up again.
That's what we try to do as a team. That's the brand of lacrosse we
play. We work hard and pride ourselves on our work ethic. Our fans
appreciate that."

All the great years Kelusky enjoyed in Calgary, minus the season
almost wiped out by a concussion, leaves Kelusky extremely
empathetic towards the financial plight through which his former
team is struggling. Owner-GM Brad Banister issued a statement Feb.
22 pleading for a substantial cash influx so the team can finish
the 16-game schedule, and as of late this week nobody has stepped
up to solve his problem.

"I know there's a lot of critics, people who have been hard on
Mr. Banister," Kelusky said. "He's a friend of mine, and I know
that he's doing everything possible to keep that franchise afloat.
It's been a struggle for the last four or five years. It's a league
thing as well. He was a frontrunner in collective bargaining
negotiations when we were on the verge of striking. He's been
instrumental in not only the Calgary Roughnecks having success, but
the league having success as well. I know he's doing everything he
can to ensure the Calgary Roughnecks and the NLL grow.

"I'm optimistic that the [NHL's] Calgary Flames will step up.
It's a good fan base. The players have got a lot of character and
there are some good leaders there. I've spoken to some of the guys
and their focus is on winning games. It's tough when you're not
getting a paycheck but... it would be ludicrous if nobody stepped
up, because it's a market that can survive in the NLL."

How long can Kelusky survive in the NLL?

"For as long as I'm having fun and contributing," he said. "I'm
not putting up the numbers I have in the past, but I feel I'm
getting my chances. I'm confident I'll be able to cash in when it's
needed. I definitely want to play for another two or three
years."

Of more immediate concern is the Saturday showdown with the
Blazers.

How big a game is this for the Bandits?

"Huge," Kelusky said. "If we don't win this one, last weekend
means nothing. We've got to win at home. With our fan support, we
have to win the ones we have at home. We know the importance of
this game. They're going to be hungry. They know they can be better
than they were the last time we met. But we can, too."

When playoffs roll around, the Bandits will be happy to have one
of the NLL's all-time great leaders in their lineup. He's a
qualified scorer who's been overdue for a big game.